Dungeons of Drakkenheim | Beginner Friendly | Foundry Integrated

Creating your character

🧙 Character Creation Guidelines ☄️ Fifteen years ago, the great city of Drakkenheim was destroyed when a meteor storm rained strange crystals across the city. The impact killed thousands and unleashed a supernatural haze that twisted the land, corrupted creatures, and drove survivors mad. Now the ruined capital is abandoned to monsters, contamination, treasure hunters, and rival factions fighting over the mysterious substance known as **delerium**. Your character is someone willing to risk entering the ruins despite the danger. --- ⚔️ Allowed Content ✅ Official 2024 D&D 5e content ✅ Full support for content from Sebastian Crowe's Guide to Drakkenheim *(strongly encouraged)* ✅ Most published subclasses/species ✅ Multiclassing allowed ✅ Homebrew with approval Sebastian Crowe’s Guide content fits the setting extremely well and will be fully integrated into the campaign. --- 🧭 Character Inspiration Your character should have a personal reason to care about Drakkenheim or what lies within it. Possible connections include: 💰 Treasure hunter seeking wealth from delerium 📚 Scholar researching contamination, magic, or lost knowledge 🩸 Survivor searching for missing family or seeking revenge ⚖️ Agent, recruit, or ally of a major faction 🙏 Pilgrim drawn by prophecy, faith, or miracles 🧪 Mage obsessed with mutation and forbidden magic 👑 Noble tied to the royal bloodline or succession crisis ☠️ Criminal profiting from smuggling or black market trade ⚔️ Mercenary hired to escort expeditions into the ruins --- 🏰 The Major Factions The fate of Drakkenheim is shaped by several powerful factions: 🟣 **Amethyst Academy** — mages seeking magical control of delerium 🛡️ **Hooded Lanterns** — former soldiers hoping to reclaim the city 🔥 **Followers of the Falling Fire** — religious movement worshipping delerium ⚔️ **Silver Order** — holy warriors determined to purge corruption 🗡️ **Queen’s Men** — criminals, smugglers, and opportunists thriving in chaos Characters may already have ties to one of these groups — or discover new loyalties during play. --- ☄️ The World Beyond The City Most people fear Drakkenheim and refuse to enter it. Stories of monsters, madness, and mutation spread across the continent. Yet despite the danger, adventurers continue to arrive seeking: 💎 Rare delerium crystals 📖 Lost magical secrets 🏰 Noble fortunes and relics 👑 Political power 🧬 Forbidden knowledge ⚔️ Glory and survival The city changes everyone who enters it. Your character should be prepared to decide what they are willing to risk — and what they are willing to become.

Preparing for the session

Before the game starts, there are just a few things you’ll need so everything runs smoothly. We will be using Discord for voice chat and Foundry VTT to play the game. Foundry runs in your web browser, so there is nothing you need to buy or install to play in this campaign. What You Need: 🎧 Discord account for voice chat 🎤 Working microphone 💻 Computer or laptop (Chrome recommended) 🌐 Stable internet connection 📷 A webcam is preferred but optional. Being able to see each other helps the game feel more like sitting around a real table and makes roleplay more engaging, but it is not required. 🔗 Once you join the game, I will send you a Discord link and the Foundry link along with instructions on how to connect. 🧙 We will have a Session 0 where we create characters, go over the campaign, discuss table expectations, and make sure everyone is comfortable with the software. 💡 You do not need to create a character before Session 0, but you should come with a few character ideas if possible. If you are new to Foundry VTT or new to Shadowdark, that’s completely fine. I am happy to teach you everything you need to know before we begin. All I Ask From Players: 🤝 Work as a team 🎭 Engage with the story and your character ⏰ Show up on time and ready to play 💬 Communicate if you will be absent 🎲 Be ready to have fun and roll some dice If that sounds like the kind of game you’re looking for, you’ll fit in well at this table.

What Troy brings to the table

🎲 Collaborative, Story-Driven Adventure When you join one of my games, you can expect a collaborative, story-driven adventure where your choices matter and the world reacts to what you do. The adventure provides the backbone, but the story will grow around your characters, your decisions, and sometimes your terrible ideas (which are often the most memorable ones). 😄 Relaxed but Engaged Table My GM style is relaxed and easygoing, but I also care a lot about the game and the story we’re telling together. I like tables where we can laugh, joke, roleplay, and have a great time—but when it’s time for a big moment or a dangerous fight, everyone leans in and takes it seriously. ⚔️ Tactical & Meaningful Combat Combat in my games is meant to be fun, tactical, and sometimes a little scary. You are heroes, but you are not invincible. Smart planning, teamwork, and creative thinking will help you succeed far more than just running in and hoping the dice save you. 🖥️ High-Quality Foundry VTT Experience I put a lot of time into preparing my games and building the online experience in Foundry VTT. You can expect high-quality maps, dynamic lighting, music, sound effects, and automation that keep the game moving and help bring the world to life. My goal is to make online play feel as close to sitting around a real table as possible. 🧙 New Player Friendly New players are always welcome. If you’re new to D&D or Foundry, I’m happy to teach you everything you need to know. If you’re an experienced player, you’ll find a game with tactical combat, roleplay opportunities, exploration, and meaningful choices that actually affect the story. 🤝 A Respectful, Fun Table Most importantly, I try to create a table where everyone feels comfortable, respected, and excited to come back each week. We’re here to tell a great story, roll some dice, and have a really good time doing it.

Homebrew rules

Milestone Leveling: Leveling up occurs at pre-determined points of the adventure. Hit Points: Max hit points for the first three levels. Either roll or take average beyond 3rd level. Flanking (Advantage): Two allies directly opposite of creature have Advantage on attack rolls. Drinking Potions: Drinking a potion is a bonus action. Using a Bonus Action for health potions requires a roll for healing. Using an Action for health potions grants max healing. Secret Death Saving Throws: Player rolls secret death saving throws only visible to the DM. Critical Hits: Max damage + roll instead of double dice. Skill Check Assistance: Only players with proficiency can give assistance (Advantage) in that skill. No PVP or evil aligned characters aloud.

How Troy creates a safe table

Player safety and comfort are important at my table. The goal is for everyone to have fun, feel comfortable, and enjoy the story we’re telling together. We begin with a Session 0 where we discuss the tone of the campaign, themes that may appear in the story, table expectations, and any boundaries players may have. This helps make sure everyone is on the same page before the adventure begins. During play, I use a Foundry VTT X-Card tool. If something in the game makes a player uncomfortable for any reason, they can press the X-Card button and we will immediately pause, rewind if necessary, and move the scene in a different direction—no explanation required. Player comfort always comes first. I also use the following general safety guidelines: Players are always in control of their character’s actions and backstory No PvP without consent from everyone involved We avoid topics that players have identified as hard limits If something unexpectedly becomes uncomfortable, we adjust and move on Open communication is always encouraged before, during, and after sessions This is meant to be a fun, respectful, and welcoming table. Everyone should feel comfortable roleplaying, contributing to the story, and being part of the group. If you ever have concerns about content, themes, or anything happening in the game, you can always message me privately and we will address it. The goal is simple: Tell a great story, roll some dice, and make sure everyone at the table is having a good time.